Thursday, December 07, 2017

To connect a brother HL-L2380DW printer to your home network, where a Netgear Orbi is present, enable Wired LAN on the printer, then ensure that both your computer and printer are connected to the Orbi. They need to be on the same network to see each other.

If you have your computer connected to your modem, it won't see the printer.

Casual pizza place. Famouse for their locationa dn not having a sign. We heard that they secretly opened up, and people started coming to them, and they became popular. We were lucky to get a provate room for our table of eight.

I went upstairs to the MIKKELLER & FRIENDS bar, to chat with the bartender and grab a beer from their amazing selection, and bring it back to the restaurant.

From their website:

Located in one of the most iconic buildings of downtown Reykjavik, Hverfisgata 12 restaurant & bar is an eclectic mix of American rustic, old carnival and part museum, designed by renowned set designer Hálfdán Pedersen.

Next door to Raddison Blu 1919. The way to order here is to get a one with everything, which means a pork, bef and lamb hot dog with onions, sauted onions, ketchup, sweet mustard and mayo relish. You can give your index finger a twirl when ordering. There's also a special that includes soda, but I don't drink soda. There is always a line here and people are eating hot dogs morning, noon and night.

I was really interested in seeing more than just natural sights on the Golden Circle route, so the addition of visits to farms, the spa, and a restaurant broke up the tour nicely.

Here's the tour map:

Let's take a look at the stops:

Þingvellir, Iceland

Friðheimar
At the local greenhouse, Friðheimar, we learned about the farm and their massive tomato growing facility. We sat at community tables and had home made tomato soup, served with freshly baked bread for lunch. Note: The butter was amazing!

Gullfoss
We took a short walk to the Gullfoss waterfall. Unlike Niagara Falls, you can get really close to this waterfall and there was almost a constant rainbow when we were there.

Geyser
The Strokkur geyser spouts hot water every 6 - 10 minutes. People gather around to see it and grab a photo. I found some interesting images after the geyser went off too.

Farm Efstidalur
At the farm we met one of the owners and sampled farm-produced Skyr, delicious ice cream, whey and feta cheese. We learned about the history of the family owned farm and their expansion into a Bed and Breakfast. It was also fun to see the cows!

Fontana Spa
Geothermal spa Fontana was nice to visit later on in the day. As you do at all spas in Iceland, you shower first, there were private showers, and then enter the geothermal spas in your bathing suit. Each pool was a different temperature so you get get into as hot water as you liked. I enjoyed it and took a shower outside in 54 degree weather, before heading in to shower inside.

Image: Fontana Spa courtesy Icelandic Mountain Guides

Lindin Restaurant
We all enjoyed a two course dinner at the local restaurant Lindin, just across the street from the spa. The night we were there our choices for dinner were Lamb, Artic Char, or Bean Steak (vegetarian). They also had a nice selection of local Icelandic beer.

THE VOLCANO
"Thrihnukagigur volcano is dormant – it last erupted over 4,000 years ago. There are no indications of it erupting again in the near future. The volcano’s name, mostly unpronounceable for anyone other than locals, would be directly translated as ‘Three Peaks Crater’. The name comes from Árni B. Stefánsson, who was the first to explore the vault and who has pleaded the case for making it accessible for years."

INFO FROM THE SITE

TOUR FACTS

Operation dates: From 15 May – 15 October
Tour departures: Several departures every day. The first tour at 8:00 and the last tour in the afternoon.
Duration: 5–6 hours (about 35-40 minutes inside the volcano).
Fitness level needed: Moderate (the difficulty is 2 out of a possible 5). No knowledge of hiking or climbing is required. It’s not an uphill walk, but the surface is partly uneven. This is NOT a tour for those in no or limited physical shape.
Distance walked: Approximately 3 km (2 miles) each way. The walk usually takes around 45–50 minutes (depending on the condition of people in the group). A guide will be with you at all times during the walk.
Minimum age limit: 12 years (we can and have made exceptions on the age. Contact us if you want to convince us that your kid is up for adventure).
Price: ISK 42.000, approx $400 US.

We booked our tour through I Heart Reykjavik, who was indispensable in helping coordinate all our Iceland tours.

The Inside the Volcano Mercedes picked us up and drove us outside the city to the Inside the Volcano Welcome Center Base Camp.

Image: Van

From there, were hiked, 45 minutes through a lava field, to the Base Camp at the foot of the volcano.

Image: Hiking

Image: Hiking

The scenery on our moderate hike was amazing. You had to keep telling yourself to stop for a moment and look around.

We had two guides, one was at he front, and the other brought up the rear.

Here you can see the volcano and it's sister mountains ahead. This gives you an indication of the walk.

Here we arrive at the second base camp at the foot of the mountain.

There are three WC (bathrooms) here.

We all got a safety tour explaining what was to come.

Here's the gear everyone gets before descending into the volcano.

Here we are hiking up the mountain to get to the opening of the volcano.

We look like professional hikers in a mountaineering magazine!

View from the top!

Next up, our German-engineered elevator is ready for our decent.

Here we are heading down 700 feet.

There is lighting inside the volcano that allows for taking some amazing photos of the rock formations.

The tours are kept small so it doesn't get crowded. Once at the bottom, you are free to wanter around. There are ropes to hold on to as you make your way along the rocky bottom of the volcano.

Monday, October 23, 2017

We did the northern lights tour, on the Saturday we arrived in Iceland, with a company called Mountain Taxi. They picked us up in a modified Mercedes Sprinter. They take a standard Sprinter van and replace the standard suspension and tires.

Image: Courtesy Mountain Taxi

For northern lights, our Icelandic travel agent Auður Ösp of I Heart Reykjavik told us that it's always better to go with a smaller group and vehicle. The bus tours are the cheapest but you might end up with 400 people and it's just not as nice. She also likes the super jeep tours since they can take you to areas the buses can't (and therefore you won't be surrounded with the aforementioned 400 of your fellow travelers).

Auður was right, we had a private tour for eight, and that made it really special.

We drove outside the city and made a few stops, looking for the northern lights.

We caught a glimpse a few times, then stopped at a secluded lake, and started to see bands of green coming us from the horizon. We sampled some local schnapps called Brennevin, and they was a treat.

After the stop at the lake, as we were driving through the darkness, our driver, Gisli Pall, thought he saw something in the sky, safely pulled off the road, and told us to all get out quickly!

We did, and then the real show started.

The Northern Lights in all their glory. Dancing green and purple lights, going in and out, moving across the sky, and painting a ribbon above us.

Our group was exclaiming with joy about what we were seeing. It was a once in a lifetime experience.

The taxi was a nice big Mercedes van, and easily fit our party of eight, and all of our luggage. It was not a problem.

Taxis are able to pick up at hotels. We were picked up at 11:00 AM and arrived at Blue Lagoon at 11:45. Our reserved time was for 12:00 to 2:00 PM. The standard time for Blue Lagoon stops is 90 minutes but you can add extra time in the lagoon if you feel that’s not enough. The price for extra time in the lagoon is 5400 ISK, ($51.21) as of today, for 30 minutes (2 hours total). That turned out to be a perfect amount of time.

On arrival at the Blue Lagoon, the driver parks in a waiting area and stays with your luggage for the duration of your visit.

The walk to the Blue Lagoon from the parking lot was windy on the day we arrived because of the remnants of a recent hurricane.

Pre-booking is required and you can't just show up there an buy tickets. When we arrived, we heard that they were sold out. Make sure you book this in advance.

Here is some background on the Blue Lagoon:

Situated in a vast lava plain on the south coast of Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, the Blue Lagoon holds nine million liters of geothermal seawater, covers an area of 8700 square meters, and has an average depth of 1.2 meters and a maximum depth of 1.6 meters. The lagoon’s water is sourced directly from the Svartsengí geothermal field and its recirculation interval is 40 hours.

The wellspring of the Blue Lagoon’s beneficial powers lies 2000 meters within the earth, at the boundary of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. In this subterranean frontier of porous lava and searing heat, seawater and groundwater converge, giving rise to a hybrid fluid known as g eothermal seawater. Under immense pressure, this fluid surges to the earth’s surface, integrating the elements through which it passes and emerging enriched with unique concentrations of silica, algae, and minerals – the primary, rejuvenating components of geothermal seawater.

Image courtesy of Blue Lagoon

I wasn't able to take a photo like this because I don't own a drone.

Here are some details on what it's like when you arrive and the showering situation.

WRISTBANDS & LOCKERS

When you arrive you will be given a wristband, which acts as a key for your electronic changing room locker. You can also use your wristband to buy drinks and refreshments while you are in the spa. It works like an in-water credit card – you just pay for anything you charge to the wristband when you leave.

We recommend that you store all your valuables inside your locker, including jewellery, shoes, cameras, etc. Be sure to check that your locker is properly locked before you walk away. Blue Lagoon is not responsible for any lost valuables.

SHOWER WITHOUT BATHING SUITS
Cleanliness is a fundamental aspect of a geothermal spa experience. Prior to entering Blue Lagoon, a full body shower - without a bathing suit - is absolutely essential. Everyone benefits when everyone is clean. This same aspect of spa culture is found at every pool in Iceland. Private shower cubicles are available in both man and women changing rooms.

We had a fun experience. Floating around the lagoon, putting on silica mud and algae masks, showering in the amazing Icelandic water, and stopping for a nice cold beer before going back to our taxi for the short ride to the airport.

This is the way to end your Icelandic vacation.

Everything was booked through Auður Ösp, owner, blogger, and photographer at iheartreykjavik.

Friday, October 20, 2017

My existing EPSON WF-3520 stopped working when I installed 3rd party EZ Ink. It was a lot less expensive than the ESPSON ink, but I should have believed one of the commenters who said that it made his printer useless.

Next up was the decision on what to get. This lead me on a journey from COLOR INKJET to a Black and White Laser Printer.

I asked my friends on Facebook what they liked, and they were helpful in guiding me to my final decision.

I kept notes!

I ruled out HP based on a poor experience with the life of a previous printer. I also ruled out Canon after deciding that I wanted to go with a FASTER BLACK AND WHITE LASER PRINTER.

I decided to get my photos printed out at CVS for now.

My neighbor has the Brother HL 2280 DW and likes it, so I narrowed in on that, and then saw the Brother HL-L2340DW reviewed on The Wirecutter.

My neighbor's HL 2280 DW supports a hard wired Ethernet connection and the new above model is wireless only. I don't think that it will be a problem.

I bought this one, Brother HLL2380DW Wireless Laser Printer (affiliate link) and Brother TN660 High Yield Toner. I liked the upgraded LCD display on it. The High Yield Toner is rated for 2,600 pages, so that should last a while.

I also noted thatt there is a way to allow the printer to continue past the page counter life of the ink cartridge, until it is actually empty by setting this up.

"For the HLL2380DW there is a continue mode in settings. Press X then Settings then All Settings then General Setup. Then scroll down to Replace Toner and change it to Continue."

In Boston, a current 3 or 2 product customer could get it added to their current suite of services for an additional $15-30/month depending on their package or if they were Internet only it’s $79.99/month for 24 months.

Later this year, Comcast will put out mesh-creating “Wi-Fi pods” that were designed in collaboration with Plume. These pods will plug into customers’ home power sockets and auto-configure to the network, similar to how Plume’s own product works.

These are my top two. Of the two, Kevin Spacey's performance is more powerful, and surprising. Continually expanding his character, while staying in character.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series:

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
*Ellie Kemper as Kimmy Schmidt

Only one choice here for me, the role was written for Ellie Kemper, and she owns it. She also makes me smile, and we needs a lot more smiles.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series:

The Americans
*Keri Russell as Elizabeth Jennings

The Crown
Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II

The Handmaid's Tale
Elisabeth Moss as Offred

House Of Cards
Robin Wright as Claire Underwood

Westworld
Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores

Lots of wonderful choices here for some powerful performances. I'm at a disadvantage because I have not seen The Handmaid's Tale yet. Keri Russell has the most multi-dimensional performance here, playing her character, and playing her character playing other characters.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Series Or Movie:

Big Little Lies
*Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright

Big Little Lies
Reese Witherspoon as Madeline MacKenzie

Both actors are excellent, but Nicole Kidman was compelling, and believable as the abused spouse. Raw and powerful.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series:

Saturday Night Live
Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
*Tituss Burgess as Titus Andromedon

Alec Baldwin does a great job on SNL, but Tituss Burgess gave me a lot more laughs.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Series Or Movie:

Big Little Lies
*Alexander Skarsgård as Perry Webber

Totally scary.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Series Or Movie:

Big Little Lies
Laura Dern as Renata Klein

Big Little Lies
*Shailene Woodley as Jane Chapman

Powerful and complex performance.

Outstanding Comedy Series:

*Silicon Valley

The best.

Outstanding Drama Series:

The Crown
The Handmaid's Tale (Have not seen yet)
*House Of Cards
Stranger Things
Westworld

I look forward to every episode and an drawn right in to every story that they tell.

Outstanding Limited Series:

*Big Little Lies

Outstanding ensemble.

Outstanding Television Movie:

*Black Mirror: San Junipero

THIS is a fantastic choice. I love the show, and when this episode aired, I felt that it was the best one ever. Glad to see it nominated here.

Saturday, June 17, 2017

A good friend suggested that I visit ROSEWOOD TUCKER'S POINT while on vacation in Bermuda. She told me that it's, "The only place she stays." I could see why. It's a beautiful place to relax away from the city center. The beach is beautiful with an infinity pool at oceanside. Let's take a look.

Rosewood Tucker's Point® offers serene sophistication that eludes formality. A mere 90 minutes from most major U.S. East Coast cities, this Bermuda luxury resort is a tranquil island escape and a world apart.

I looked at a map to see if I could take a bus to the resort. The website says it's possible, but in the end I decided to take a cab from Hamilton town, which ended up costing just under $40.

Prior to visiting I contacted the resort to see if it was possible to visit, they said:

We are so excited for you to come to Bermuda! We love visitors, please feel free to visit our property. We may or may not have a surprise waiting for you when you arrive! Enjoy and see you soon!

An all-in-one facility dedicated to pleasure and leisure, the Beach Club not only includes Bermuda’s largest private beach, but also two freshwater swimming pools. The Horizon Pool is reserved for guests aged 13 and older, while the Fountain Pool is perfect for families with young children.

Diners will delight at the seasonal open-air restaurant Sur Mer, dining terrace and bar pavilion, which overlooks the picturesque South Shore and the Atlantic Ocean. With the shaded pergola perched above a pink sand beach, this offers a dramatic setting for lunch and dinner, offset by the casually elegant atmosphere and simple, sophisticated menus.

With Beach Club amenities available April through October, guests need not worry about the details. For guests’ comfort and convenience, beach attendants will be on hand to assist with towel service and chair set-up, along with food and beverages. In the fall and winter months, the beach remains open from sunrise to sunset, but only limited service is available. Special events can be arranged.

For fans of snorkeling, everything a guest might need is available for rental from Rosewood’s Watersports Hut, located at the entrance of the Beach Club. Visitors can rent a mask, a snorkel and fins, and explore the reefs just off the shores of the private beach. The Dive and Watersports Center, meanwhile, is located on the shores of Castle Harbour, just a short tram ride away.

One the best beach/pool experiences ever. Tucker's Point Beach Club infinity pool by the ocean.

Amazing beach. Our cab driver told us that this was one of the most beautiful beaches on Bermuda.

Click for 360 view.

We had quite the visit.

One our way to the airport, we told our cab driver about the experience. He said that Tucker's Point Beach Club did indeed have one of the most beautiful beaches on Bermuda. All beaches on Bermuda are public, up to the water line. In order for you to see this beach, you'd have to be a guest of the hotel, a member of the beach club, or have a boat to get you there. ;-)

He also told us that there were also two other beaches that you could get to by cab, beaches that are accessible by moped, cab or boat. They are by the airport and called Clearwater Beach & Turtle Bay. Read the reviews on TripAdvisor to get a feel for the area.

Explore 12 acres of pristine nature reserve to spot seabirds, giant land crabs and ancient Bermuda cedar trees on Cooper’s Island, at the southeastern tip of Bermuda. This secluded area was off-limits for decades: The U.S. military occupied the area and built a battery during WWII, and in the 1960s NASA operated a space tracking station here. It was reopened to the public in 2011, and now it has nature trails and shallow-water beaches perfect for a day trip or picnic. Climb the wildlife observation tower to see a sweeping panorama of the island.

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Boston to Bermuda is only 1 hour and 40 minutes my plane. A direct flight on JetBlue is always a pleasure.

Our flight was half-full, so after everyone boarded, the flight attendant told us that we could move anywhere we wanted, keeping in my the EXTRA SPACE rows would be charged extra.

We took advantage and moved to the back of the plane, the you could have a whole row to yourself.

We did not anticipate how this would affect us later. Upon landing in Bermuda, we had to go though customs, So, we were at the end of the line. Luckily it moved along quickly.

Taxi to the hotel from the airport was about $35 Bermuda which had a 1-1 exchange rate with US dollars which were readily accepted.

We stayed at the Hamilton, Princess. The hotel recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation and is now truly a 4-star hotel.

Hamilton Princess,
76 Pitts Bay Road,
HM08,
Bermuda.
+1-441-295-3000

Video Courtesy Hamilton Princess

Hamilton Princess in Legos.

There are two pools at the Hamilton Princess, one lap pool and one salt water infinity pool overlooking the harbor.

Pink hotel buildings made for a fun backdrop.

Harbor view from the hotel.

On the suggestion of a friend, we went to the Pickled Onion on Front Street. The restaurant/Bar is on the second floor. We got a table on the balcony overlooking the street and the harbor.

It was time to sample a beer from one of Bermuda's breweries, Dockyard Brewing Company.

Breakfast on the patio.

Hamilton Princess Beach Club. You can take a free jitney from the hotel to the beach club, which takes 20-25 minutes. There are actually three beaches there that you can use, two are calm and one is more ocean facing. That one looks like it's in someone's front yard, but beach club guests do have access.

It turns out that the Hamilton Princess bought the land where the former Sonesta hotel was. Same place we went on our honeymoon! There's a restaurant and tennis courts here too.

Down the road, about a 15-minute walk, is Horseshoe Bay beach.

Tea Time!

The forecast for the week we were there was for rain, but we only saw one rain shower.

Cocktail time. I don't usually like Heineken, but in Bermuda it tasted better.

Because of all the tea times and cocktail times, we only went to dinner one night, that was at one of the hotel's restaurants, MARCUS'.

Nice salmon.

We also had drinks and appetizers at the 1690 Bar and Restaurant. The two beers on tap were Sam Adams Summer and Honey Ale. I asked about the Honey Ale and the bartender told me it was local. I asked him to show me the tap handle, and saw that the name of the brewery was On De Rock. Here's their story"

The On De Rock Craft Brewery is the brainchild of friends Dave Jones and Simon Watkinson. Dave had been brewing craft beer in Bermuda as a passionate hobby and shared the 100% Bermuda made craft beer with Simon. Simon, a great fan of quality craft brewed beers loved every beer that Dave created. Similarly, everyone that tasted the craft beers Dave made, loved them. Naturally, discussion changed into turning Dave's hobby into a business and the On De Rock Craft Brewery was born.

Would have been nice if the bartender knew it.

The Bermuda Moongate.

Lap pool at night.

Some of the MANY pieces of art in the hotel. They spent millions. Guided tours are offered every Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and by special appointment through the hotel.

Friday, May 19, 2017

Xi5-P allows you to put XFINITY TV anywhere in your home via WiFi, without a a cable connection. Powered by USB-C and connects to TV via HDMI. Supports High Dynamic Range (HDR), but not 4K/UltraHD, that will come in a future device.

Friday, April 28, 2017

My first investing advice came from message boards on the dial-up internet.

After I got my first job, it was a while before I felt like I had some extra money to invest.

Until then, I kept my money in a savings account in a bank, and let it sit there.

LEARNING ABOUT THE STOCK MARKET
When I was in high school I had a teacher that taught us about the stock market. I really enjoyed his class. He had me bring my copy of the Boston Globe into school each day. This was back when they printed stock tables in the newspaper. And yes, I walked to school every day, up a hill, both ways! ;-)

Each student picked a stock and we tracked it’s performance over time. I looked forward to tracking my stock’s performance each day.

GETTING ADVICE
When it came time to invest real money, I turned to online forums to help demystify the investing process. If I remember correctly, I dialed on to online services like Prodigy, and AOL, and joined finance discussions.

Image: Prodigy Online Service Login Page

One popular suggestion for investing was to invest in things that you knew about, that were to growing.

BUYING STOCKS ONLINE
I opened up an online brokerage account, and invested some money. It was a good way to learn about the stock market, and how to buy and sell stocks.

I ended up buying and selling a few stocks based on my online research and direct experience with the companies.

One stock that I ended up buying, after learning how, was Apple. That was a good stock to buy. ;-)

I bought Apple because I worked at a computer store, and was trained by Apple on the first Macintosh computer in 1984. I then became the local Macintosh expert, handling sales and doing demonstrations of the computer. I got to know it very well and decided that it would be a good investment.

Image: Apple Macintosh

There’s a cool website called InvestedInstead that shows you what your investment would be worth today, if you invested your money in a companies’ stock instead of their product.

As of 4/22/2017, if you had invested $2,495 in Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock on 1/24/1984, that investment would have grown 347 times to $866,800. [See Macintosh Results as of today]

This experience gave me the step-by-step knowledge of HOW TO BUY A STOCK.

Investing in individual stocks like this is more risky than spreading out the risk in a mutual fund made up of many stocks.

FUTURESMART APP
Image: FutureSmart App

An app that you can use to learn about investing and personal finance is the MassMutual #FutureSmart App.

One lesson from the #FutureSmart App confirms what I learned: “Investing your money in a mix of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds can help reduce your risk."

WHAT I LEARNED
Online brokerage accounts make it easy to buy and sell stocks.

You can never know when a stock will got up or down. You can’t worry about it either. I take the long term approach of buy and hold.

I’m a long way off from that day that I bought my first stock. I am still holding on to some of those early stocks, and buying some other individual stocks, where I have direct experience with the companies, like Disney and Facebook.

I now also work with a financial planner to help me spread out my risk with investments in some professional managed funds, where the only decision I have to make is how much money to put into the fund.

With Mercedes me for Amazon Alexa, you can access your Mercedes-Benz from the comfort of your couch. In order to effectively use the Mercedes me skill, you will need an active Mercedes me account and an active mbrace subscription.*

* Select mbrace services are free for five years with any new Mercedes-Benz.
** Available on select 2016 and newer model lines. Check with dealer for details. Features subject to network coverage.

Please note:
• The Mercedes me skill on Alexa currently only supports users in the United States;
• The Mercedes me skill on Alexa will send remote service commands to your vehicle, but will not currently confirm the completion of those commands. However, in the case of remote start, you will receive a remote start status text message to the phone number that is linked to your mbrace account. If you update your phone number linked to mbrace, you will also be required to update your primary car in Mercedes me in order to continue receiving text messages;
• You can manage multiple cars within Mercedes me. However, you can only operate one car at a time via Alexa i.e. the primary car that you set via the Mercedes me skill. In order to change/update your primary car, simply say "Alexa, ask Mercedes me to update my primary car.";
• For Mercedes me customer support, call +1 800-367-6372

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About Me

Steve is a Social Media Traveler. Companies, brands, and destinations send my wife and I on trips in hopes that we will publicly share our experiences via social media. Examples include opening festivities for the Hermitage Club and traveling with GMC to the Super Bowl. (Go Pats!) We are available for more branded experience trips.